BY NHAU MANGIRAZISTUDENTS from remote areas have been urged to shun drugs and substance abuse, and, instead, concentrate on education by embracing information communication technology (ICTs).
Speaking at Huyo Primary School on Friday, ICT minister Jenfan Muswere said: “I challenge learners to focus on education and shun drug abuse. It’s a vice that will affect your wellbeing. The government is striving to make sure marginalized communities benefit and be part of the global world.”
Huyo Primary School is situated about 60 kilometres north of Karoi town and is under Ward 7, Chief Chundu in Hurungwe North constituency.
Muswere also visited Nyamupfukudza High School, another 60 kilometres west of Karoi town in Hurungwe, where he officially launched the provincial smart projects at Chitimbe Primary School, one of the area’s oldest schools, established in 1943.
The school has an enrolment of 756 pupils with 400 girls and 356 boys. Muswere handed over 20 laptops at each school with free WiFi access for a year.
He said the new ICT labs and information kiosks mark another “critical milestone” in digital transformation.
Muswere challenged the learners to use the gadgets as “vital drivers of economic growth” and job creation in the country.
‘‘The government has taken a deliberate trajectory of helping our schools to establish state of the art ICT Labs throughout the country. This ICT Lab Per-School Project is an all-inclusive project where no one and no place will be left behind. The global COVID-19 pandemic proved the importance of technologies that ensured rapid growth of tele-working and high demand for digital solutions and digital skills in the economy as a whole,” he said.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
The ICT minister also noted that establishing ICT labs in all schools, including the ones in marginalised communities will create an opportunity for the youths to access world-class learning environments and content which will serve to bridge two divides: Inequalities in the digital literacy space and inequalities created by the lack of access to digital literacy platforms.
Provincial resident minister Mary Mliswa-Chikoka said: ‘‘The gesture from the government will go a long way in empowering our rural schools so that they are part of the global village.”
